Listen to Jesus’ amazing claims:

For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will (John 5:21).

For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted [given] the Son also to have life in himself (John 5:26).

I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? (John 11:25-26).

Jesus asked this last question of a friend named Mary. Her brother Lazarus had died four days before, while Jesus was away. Knowing Jesus’ power, she could not understand why her brother had been allowed to die. This sorrow moved the spirit of Jesus deeply.

“Jesus wept [cried]” (John 11:35).

Then Jesus came to the cave where Lazarus was buried. He ordered people to remove the grave’s stone cover. They obeyed, though they knew that the smell would be bad.

When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound [wrapped] with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind [unwrap] him, and let him go” (John 11:43-44).

Jesus had also raised others from death (Luke 7:11-17; 8:41-46). Many had been present and had spread the news. Now many more became followers because of the raising of Lazarus. The Jewish leaders feared they were losing their place of power over the people. They planned to kill both Jesus and the evidence of His power, the living Lazarus (John 11:47-52; 12:10). If they had thought more clearly, they would have realized that if Jesus raised Lazarus once, He could raise him again. If Jesus could raise the dead, then He could keep Himself safe from any enemy.

All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly [fully]… I am the Good Shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me (John 10:8-10,14).

These bold words spoken by Jesus were like words found in Ezekiel (34:23; 37:24). Ezekiel had spoken during dark days of Jewish slavery in Babylon. Many leaders then (as now) thought only of their own gain. They used and hurt people under them. Through Ezekiel God promised to send His “one Shepherd” who would truly care for His people. 600 years later Jesus came as the one Shepherd. All others who claimed to be that one Shepherd were false and harmful. Jesus would gather together all God’s scattered people “So there will be one flock, one shepherd” (John 10:16 and 11:52).

EACH PERSON IS SPECIAL TO GOD

Jesus’ life was all about caring for people and bringing them back to God. He especially spent time helping those who knew they were held by sin and shame. The Pharisees complained,

“This man receives sinners and eats with them” (Luke 15:2).

In reply Jesus showed how He is like a shepherd. He does not want one sheep (one person) to be left in danger. Even if only one sheep is lost, He keeps searching for that one until He finds it (Luke 15:1-7). What about very bad people who have wanted to leave God? Jesus told a parable showing that God is like a father. The father watches for his child who has gone away into a life of sin. When the child comes home, the father welcomes him with open arms (Luke 15:11-24).

Shortly after saying this, Jesus visited a chief tax-collector called Zacchaeus. Many people hated Zacchaeus. Forgetting that they themselves were also sinful people, they complained, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner’” (Luke 19:7). Jesus showed Zacchaeus how to change his heart and life. He said,

“Today salvation has come to this house.…For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).

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There are of course, times when crops do fail for a while. Jobs become hard to find. Families lack what they need. How are we to understand these in the light of God’s love? First, let us remember that the world God made was not a world of want, disease or death. He made it a place of plenty, health and life. Man’s sin, and Satan’s rule through that sin, brought into the world the suffering we see. Even for God’s own people, this is a place of “groaning” (Romans 8:22-23).

The question this world should really be asking is this: “Why should we expect anything except pain and death?” For this world is full of rebellion against its Creator.

To reject the Giver of all life should mean the loss of all life. Yet the God of great mercy keeps on letting people live on His earth. He gives them many blessings.

He makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:45).

He gives us time to learn and to turn to Him, before it is too late. Yet many are so thoughtless and so thankless that they use this time to continue sinning. They “show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience.” They fail to see that

“… God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance” (Romans 2:4).

ERV: God has been kind to you. He has been very patient, waiting for you to change. But you think nothing of his kindness. Maybe you don’t understand that God is kind to you so that you will decide to change your lives.

GOD USES GOOD TIMES AND BAD TIMES
When many blessings do not turn people back to God, He may try another way. He may use even the curses and sorrows that are already at work in the earth because of sin. An example of this was given by the prophet Jeremiah. His people enjoyed seasons of plenty. Yet these good times did not turn their hearts to God (Jeremiah 5:24). Later came their times of great trouble, war and famine. God tried through these to show His people the result of their sin.

Your sins have kept you from enjoying the good things from the LORD (Jeremiah 5:25).

Still they would not listen. Finally their capital city, Jerusalem, was destroyed. Many of them were killed or made slaves.

In the book called Lamentations, Jeremiah tells of his tears as he watched his people starve and die in Jerusalem. Yet he knew how much God had tried to win them back. God had tried by means of both good times and bad times.

So, even in great sorrow, Jeremiah could still say,

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).

ERV: We are still alive because the LORD’s faithful love never ends. Every morning he shows it in new ways! LORD, you are so very true and loyal!

This “full assurance” is not based on us, on our varying performances and changing feelings. Our confidence rests securely on His grace—His undeserved kindness—that continually counts us forgiven and perfect, as a free gift we neither earn nor deserve.

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

This new reality is both heavenly and earthly. It is intensely personal and practical, empowering us to become more than anyone thought possible. That same power lifts us to face and overcome our character flaws, our bad habits, and even our worst addictions.

For sin will have no dominion [control] over you, since you are not under law but under grace (Romans 6:14).

Are you ready for such a liberating experience? Your entire life becomes an adventure with the amazing God who made you, and continues to re-make you. Jesus calls this full or abundant life.

“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly“ (John 10:10).

One day a terrible thing happened. A snake came to Eve and spoke to her in a language she could understand. The snake had no special power of its own. Satan the devil was actually speaking through the snake. Satan is the enemy of God and wanted to make trouble between God and Adam and Eve.

Satan lied to Eve and told her it would be good to eat from the tree of good and bad. He told Eve that if she ate from that tree she would become like God. Satan is a big liar. God had already told Adam and Eve not to eat from that tree or they would die. Eve believed Satan’s lie. She saw that the tree was beautiful and the fruit looked good. She took it and ate it. She even gave some to Adam and he ate it too.

Immediately, Adam and Eve changed and they were afraid and ashamed. They did something very bad. They disobeyed God. This is called sin. They gathered some leaves from the trees and made clothes to wear. They heard God coming so they ran and tried to hide from God.

God is everywhere all the time, so it’s impossible to hide from God. He found them and asked them to tell him what they had done. Adam told God that Eve made him do this bad thing. That wasn’t true, because Adam didn’t have to eat that fruit. Eve told God that Satan made her do this bad thing. That wasn’t true either, because Eve didn’t have to eat that fruit.

Scripture References: Genesis 3:1-13

Deuteronomy 18 shows another important reason for a mediator. God knows that people need answers for solving life’s many problems. They need to make the best choices about how to live. God also knows that people often look for answers in the wrong places. For example, many turn to spirit mediums who claim to speak for the dead or for other spirits. Many also seek answers in witchcraft, spiritism, magic spells, omens, and other signs such as the stars. In Deuteronomy 18:9-14, God commanded His people not to use these methods (also Leviticus 19:31; 1 Chronicles 10:13; Isaiah 8:19; Acts 19:19; Revelation 21:8). Was He trying to keep them from finding spiritual answers? Actually, God was keeping them from these methods because they give false answers, which harm people (Isaiah 47:8-15; Jeremiah 27:9-10).

God’s love went even further. Rather than stopping the search for answers, God opened the way for all the answers that all people need. For immediately after speaking against mediums, God promised to send the Prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18: 15-19). People do not need “mediums” because God gives His Mediator! God assured them,

I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him (Deuteronomy 18:18).

Unlike messages from mediums, this message would be true. This message could be fully trusted and followed. For this message would be God’s own words. “Everything” from God would be faithfully passed along to the people by the Prophet like Moses.

Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.

— Oscar Wilde.

This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.